On the park trail, three figures, one adult and two kids, jogged along as usual, greeting the neighbors who were exercising by the road as they went. After a lap, there were beads of sweat on all their foreheads.
They had gotten up early today, so they had plenty of time. After the jog, Xu Zixi planned to take the two kids for a stroll before going back. However, when they passed by the small park, the mother and the two kids were stopped.
The one who stopped them was Wang Dabao's grandma.
Wang Dabao was tugging at Grandma Wang's clothes, looking at Yuan Xiaoxuan and Yuan Xiaoxu with expectation. Grandma Wang said to Xu Zixi with great embarrassment:
"Xiaoyuan, I'm really sorry about what happened last time. I shouldn't have gossiped about the kids' dad behind your back. You're right. As adults, we should set a good example and teach kids to respect others instead of gossiping about people's physical disabilities. I'd like to apologize to you, your husband and the two kids here."
Xu Zixi had thought Grandma Wang was coming to cause trouble, but after hearing this, she let out a sigh of relief. With a smile on her face, she said to Grandma Wang, "It's okay. I didn't really mind. We know how we're living, and we don't need others' comments."
"Then... can our Wang Dabao still be friends with your Xiaoxuan and Xiaoxu?" Grandma Wang asked.
Xu Zixi looked at Wang Dabao. This time, Wang Dabao was very well - behaved. He said, "Fairy auntie, I want to play with Xiaoxuan and Xiaoxu. Is that okay?"
In this world, being sweet - tongued really has its advantages. Xu Zixi was pleased by the words "fairy auntie". She stroked the heads of the two kids and said to them, "Kids, Wang Dabao's grandma has apologized. Do you want to be friends with Wang Dabao again?"
Yuan Xiaoxuan looked at Xu Zixi and then at Grandma Wang. His serious little face immediately broke into a smile. He opened his arms and said to Wang Dabao, "Wang Dabao, as long as you like my daddy, we'll still be good friends!"
Then, the three kids happily hugged each other. Since the kids had made up, the two adults were also in a good mood. It was really a wonderful day.
"Wang Dabao, our mommy has to go to work. We'll go back with mommy first! We'll invite you to our home when we have time!" Yuan Xiaoxuan waved his little hand and said goodbye to Wang Dabao.
Wang Dabao nodded vigorously. "Okay, it's a deal! You must let me come to your home and play!"
Xu Zixi was holding the hands of the two kids and about to leave when suddenly there was a scream and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground from behind.
She turned around and saw a well - dressed woman lying on the ground in a mess. She was wearing a mask, only showing a pair of rather beautiful eyes. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted because of the pain. Although her skin seemed well - maintained, there were already traces of the passage of time around her eyes.
Since they weren't far away, when the two kids saw someone fall, they ran over enthusiastically. They squatted down with their little butts sticking out and asked with concern:
"Auntie, you fell. Does it hurt? Let us help you up, okay?"
"Auntie, my mommy said that blowing on the wound will make it stop hurting. I'll blow on it for you."
As the two kids' good friend, Wang Dabao, who was still on the scene, wasn't willing to be outdone. He squeezed in and helped the two kids lift the woman up and let her sit down beside the flowerbed.
Xu Zixi, who had intended to leave, changed her direction and walked up to the woman. She squatted down slightly, holding her knees, and asked,
"Ma'am, are you okay? Did you hurt anywhere?"
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes and rolled down. She didn't say a word but just sat there shaking her head.
Yuan Xiaoxuan looked up at his beautiful mommy. "Mommy~ Auntie must be in a lot of pain. She's so hurt that she can only cry and can't say a word!"
Since she couldn't get any answer, Xu Zixi had to look down at the woman's knees and elbows. The fabric on these two parts of the woman's body was worn out. Considering that the woman might be older and that a fall would be more uncomfortable for her than for a young person, Xu Zixi politely asked,
"Do you mind if I take a look at your wound?"
The woman still shook her head, so Xu Zixi took it as an agreement and carefully rolled up her trouser leg. Sure enough, there was a rather deep wound on her fair knee, while the wound on her elbow was not as serious.
"We need to treat the wound right away," Xu Zixi said. She looked back at Grandma Wang and said, "Grandma Wang, could you help me watch Xiaoxuan and Xiaoxu? I'll go to the pharmacy over there to buy some hydrogen peroxide and gauze. I'll be back soon."
As she said this, she pointed to a 24 - hour pharmacy across the small park.
Grandma Wang nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
"Ma'am, please wait here. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, she got up and walked towards the pharmacy.
After Xu Zixi left, the two kids walked up to the woman again, blinking their eyes and saying,
"Auntie, why don't you talk? Can't you talk? Then you must be really amazing, just like my daddy!"
"My mommy said that people who can't see, can't talk or can't hear are all kissed by God. They're all really amazing!"
"Auntie, why are you crying again? Are you really in a lot of pain? Xiaoxu will blow on it for you. Hoo~ Hoo~"
Tears welled up in Yin Shulan's eyes again and rolled down uncontrollably. Compared with the pain on her body, her heart was hurting even more. She tried to open her eyes wide so that the tears wouldn't blur her vision. She greedily looked at the two chubby kids in front of her. She raised her trembling hand and reached out towards Yuan Xiaoxu, who was closest to her, hesitating whether to touch him or not.
Yuan Xiaoxu didn't understand why this auntie suddenly reached out her hand towards him. So he tilted his head, blinked his eyes, showing a confused expression. His bright, black - and - white eyes also showed the emotion of "confusion".
Finally, Yin Shulan couldn't hold back anymore. She held Yuan Xiaoxu's face in her hands and cried out suppressedly. She gently traced the kid's eyebrows and eyes with her thumb. Her heart ached as if being cut by a knife, but at the same time, there was also a strong sense of satisfaction and excitement welling up in her heart.
They looked so alike.
They were like they were carved out of the same mold, making her feel as if she had gone back to more than twenty years ago. But at that time, little Cheng would only hug her and ask:
Mom, why is the sky always so dark?
Later, after accepting the fact that he couldn't see, he became more and more silent and cold.
She forced him to stand up on his own, forced him to learn to take care of himself and protect himself, and forced him to become the "living formula" that the Yan family couldn't do without. But then, he no longer called her with that kind of intimate name.
These two identical kids in front of her with their bright eyes made up for the deep regret that she had hidden in her heart for all these years.
She couldn't help but think that if little Cheng could see, he might have looked at her like this when he was a kid, right?
Suddenly, the kid in front of her was pulled back. Grandma Wang frowned and said,
"You just fell. Your hands are so dirty. Don't touch the kids' faces."
This woman was so strange. Could she be trying to steal the kids?
Yin Shulan was a bit flustered. She wiped the tears from her face and said, "S - sorry."